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Marc Lawrence

Marc Lawrence has authored thousands of articles expounding on the three primary forms of sports handicapping: Fundamental, Statistical and Technical. To be a successful handicapper, blending all three forms of analysis into the handicapping equation. Marc relies heavily on a proprietary powerful database of scores, stats and results of games played since 1980, both College and Pro Football and College and Pro Basketball.

Marc has been handicapping sports professionally since 1975, having won more documented Top 10 Handicapping Achievement awards than any handicapper in the nation. He won the 2005 STARDUST FOOTBALL INVITATIONAL Contest and was a SEMI-FINALIST in the 2006 $100,000 LEROYS' MONEY TALKS Contest last season. He finished the 2006 season as the No. 1 handicapper in the NFL as documented by SPORTS WATCH in Las Vegas. Marc also finished No. 1 in the nation in College Football win percentage in 2005 as documented by both the SPORTS MONITOR in Oklahoma and SPORTS WATCH in Las Vegas. He was named HANDICAPPER OF THE YEAR in 2005 by FOOTBALL NEWS.

In 2008, he finished No. 1 in NFL win percentage according to SPORTS WATCH and also captured 1st place honors in the 2008 PLAYBOOK WISE GUYS CONTEST.

Marc has hosted a national radio show "MARC LAWRENCE AGAINST THE SPREAD" for each of the last 16 years on over 100 stations syndicated in the USA. He is a tireless handicapper who works a minimum 60-hour week during the football and basketball seasons. As a handicapper he firmly believes that three things can happen when you bet an underdog, and two of them are good. He enjoys helping others to become better informed.

Marc married his high school sweetheart 40 years ago and has one son, Marc Jr., who works with him in the industry. Aside from publishing the PLAYBOOK Football Yearbook magazine and Weekly Newsletters, Marc enjoys golf and horse racing.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Marc Lawrence Best College ad Pro Upsets NOV 23-26

THURSDAY: Minnesota over DETROIT by 13

If it’s Thursday, and the Lions are involved, then it’s Thanksgiving Day. And if Detroit is playing it’s worth noting they are 37-38-2 SU all-time on Turkey Day, including 4-0 SU and ATS the last 4 years (defeated the Vikings here last year, 16-13). That’s where the good news ends for the men from Motown, though, as all NFL favorites on this traditional holiday are 51-14 SU and 42-22-1 ATS in games since 1990. Worse, the Lions are 0-6 ATS in division games when coming off a division game, as well as 0-5 ATS coming off an away game versus an opponent coming off a home game. Enter the surging Vikings, a club that has been outstatted only one time this season, as well as having allowed no sacks over the last fi ve contests. Minnesota is 4-2 SUATS on Thanksgiving Day since 1987. They are also 18-7- 1 ATS in this series with revenge (lost 14-7 at home six weeks ago to the Lions), including 8-2 ATS away. And then there is Detroit QB Matthew Stafford who is just 3-9 ATS in his NFL career following consecutive wins when facing a division opponent. We wrap up this Turkey Day delight up with THE CLINCHER: NFL division teams seeking triple revenge-exact (the Vikings) are 16-4 ATS when coming off consecutive SUATS wins, including 14-1 ATS before Game 15 of the season.

College

Mississippi over MISSISSIPPI ST by 1

It may be Thanksgiving but we could have plenty of ‘Egg’ on our face if the Rebels perform like the oddsmakers say they will – as 16-point underdogs who are just playing out the string. Yes, win or lose, the 5-6 Rebels won’t go partying for a second straight season due to self-imposed bowl sanctions. But revenge from last season’s 55-20 beating – their worst loss in the series since 1916 – provides plenty of motivation. We also can’t overlook Johnny Reb’s 15-3 SU and 14-4 ATS mark in this series when scoring 21 or more points (Mississippi is averaging over 33 PPG this season against conference foes not named Alabama). Or the fact that an Egg Bowl win in Starkville would be tastier than any pre-New Year’s Day bowl victory would be. Couple that with Missy State’s 11-25 ATS log at home against sub .600 avenging foes, including 0-5 ATS the last fi ve, and you may not even need THE CLINCHER: Ole Miss is 12-4 SU and 11-4-1 ATS in this series with revenge, including 9-1 SUATS when they own a win percentage of more than .400.

NFL
Denver over OAKLAND by 6

How bad have things been in Denver this season, you ask? You have to look back 27 years to 1990 to fi nd the last time they lost 6 consecutive games. So bad that OC Mike McCoy got the boot this week. And so bad that they even fi nd themselves in the AFC West cellar, one game behind the Chargers and Raiders. The key in this contest is the last sentence, as Oakland is having troubles of its own. So much so that Denver brings the better offense and the better defense into this fray. And to the point that the Broncos own the league’s No. 3 overall defense. So why is it that Denver is No. 26 in points allowed? Because of their -16 in net TOs, that’s why. Denver is, however, 9-0 ATS as dog in the fi rst of consecutive away games following a non-division game. On the other side of the coin, the Raiders are 2-9-1 ATS in this series, including 1-5 ATS the last 6 games at home. Toss in the fact that Oakland QB Derek Carr is 0-3 ATS in his career as a division favorite and we’ll back the Wild Horses knowing that NFL teams on a 0-6 SUATS slide are 23-8-1 ATS in games against .500 or less opponents coming off a loss. And lest we forget, there is also THE CLINCHER: Oakland is 0-11 ATS as a favorite against double avenging foes.

Written by Marc Lawrence

Marc Lawrence can also be found at Playbook.com - One Click Handicapping

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Marc Lawrence College & Pro Underdog Best Bets NOV 18-19

NC STATE over Wake Forest by 11

Thanks to an offense that tallied a whopping 734 yards, the 6-4 Deacons took care of bowl business with last week’s 64-43 comeback win in Syracuse. The problem is they allowed 621 yards to the Orange on the heels of surrendering 710 yards at Notre Dame the prior week. An even bigger issue is the fact the Demons’ head coach Dave Clawson is 1-15 SU versus .666 or greater foes from Game Five out. It also doesn’t help that Wake is 2-5 ATS in the fi rst of back-to-back homers or that the ‘Pack are 3-0 SUATS in this matchup of late (average score 37-15) as well as 8-1 SU and 7-2 in this series when the Demons arrive off a SUATS win. And though State (7-3, 5-1) is locked into second in the ACC Atlantic, the Wolfpack still reside in the Top 25 and would garner a big bowl payday with a 9-win season. More importantly, their head coach resides in THE CLINCHER: Dave Doeren is 14-2 SU and 12-3-1 ATS away in conference play off a conference game when owning an equal or better record, including 9-0 SU and 8-0-1 from Game Nine out.

Florida Int’l over FLA ATLANTIC by 1

This year’s Shula Bowl is a battle of the two most improved teams in the CUSA, behind two of the most celebrated new coaches this season in FIU’s (FIT) Butch Davis and FAU’s (FAT) Lane Kiffi n. The Owls from Boca started 1-3 SU early on before ripping off six straight wins (5-1 ATS) by a lopsided average of 21.9 PPG. But while FAT has been winning in blowout fashion and seems like the obvious choice tonight, our MIDWEEK ALERT warns us that Owlsley and company have lost the yardage battle in each of their last three contests, make them a dreaded ‘leaking oil’ favorite. Kiffi n’s kids also allowed Louisiana Tech a season-high 511 yards in last week’s 48-23 ‘inside-out’ phony victory. Meanwhile, not only does Davis own a superb 15-5 ATS log as a dog in games after allowing 24 or more points (winning 10 of those games straight up), the Panthers take the fi eld with a decided series edge of late, going 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS in the previous six meetings. And despite the fact that both foes are already bowl-eligible, FAU holds a ‘fat’ 2-game lead in the CUSA East over FIU and Marshall with two game to plays – meaning Davis’ team won’t leave any bullets in the chamber here. And then there is Kiffi n’s proclamation that FAT owns more wins this season than Florida and Florida State combined. Talk about a ‘fathead’. Finally, the best argument we can make on behalf of the Panthers comes courtesy of THE CLINCHER: FAU is 0-10 ATS as a favorite against an avenging opponent since 2009.

NFL

BUFFALO over LA Chargers by 8

Let’s set the table, if we may. It’s been 18 years since the Bills last made a playoff appearance. And after last week’s no-show effort against the Saints, there are not many fans left in Buffalo these days with even a whimper of the postseason on their minds. But the fact of the matter is the Bills would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC were the playoffs to begin this week. Plus, after last week’s red-faced loss, it’s safe to say the gambling public will be as extinct as the city’s namesake today. And being as contrarian as we are, that’s how we like it. The good news for Bills backers today is their 7-2 SUATS record following an NFC game, including 7-0 SUATS when seeking revenge. On the other side of the coin, the Bolts are 0-6 ATS in their 5th home game of the season, as well as 1-6 ATS at home following an NFC game. Incredibly, our INCREDIBLE STAT on page 3 calls out the fact that the Chargers have lost 20 games by one possession (7 points or fewer) the last twoplus seasons. The culprit behind the Chargers’ lack of success in closecall games is none other than QB Phillip Rivers, who is 9-18 SU and 6-20-1 ATS as a home favorite of 5 or less points. To put the fi nal wrap on this call, we hand it off to THE CLINCHER: Chargers QB Rivers is 0-6 SUATS in his NFL career as a favorite of 5 or fewer points against AFC East opponents. [THIS JUST IN: Rivers is currently in concussion protocol and may not play Sunday. If he can’t go, it would end his streak of 185 consecutive regular season starts.]

Written by Marc Lawrence

Marc Lawrence can also be found at Playbook.com - One Click Handicapping

Wednesday, November 08, 2017

College and Pro Best Bet Upsets NOV 11-12

AUBURN over Georgia by 10

If you’re a fan of good old-fashioned head-knocking football (it’s only an expression… we don’t encourage targeting), then you need to get comfy and watch these two SEC powerhouses go at it on Saturday afternoon on CBS. The stakes are huge: a win for Auburn means the Tigers can position themselves for a winner-take-all contest against Alabama to wear the SEC West crown. Meanwhile, Georgia wants to remain unbeaten and prove they’re still hungry despite clinching the SEC East title last Saturday. With the nation’s best RB tandem in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, it’s no surprise that Georgia is the top team in the nation in Red Zone Offense and No. 3 in 3rd Down Conversion Percentage. The heady play of QB Jake Fromm, though, has enabled the Dawgs to move from a run-heavy attack to a more balanced offense. Still, our ‘As the Noose Tightens’ SMART BOX insists we fade them, especially knowing Georgia HC Kirby Smart is 0-3 ATS as a favorite against avenging foes. The visitors also bring along some bad before-and-after numbers for today’s game, going 0-5 ATS before playing Kentucky and 1-4 ATS after facing South Carolina. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has lost three straight games to the Bulldogs but he excels in today’s role, going 3-0 SUATS at home with a winning record versus undefeated foes. Malzahn is also a nearperfect 7-1 ATS in his last eight tries as a conference home dog of fewer than 13 points. And while Chubb and Michel garner all the headlines for UGA, Auburn’s ‘double-deuce’ offense (averaging over 200 YPG both rushing and passing) is fully capable of trading points with the Dawgs. If you need more ammo to go against No. 1, we offer up THE CLINCHER: The Tigers are 12-2 SU and 11-3 ATS with conference revenge following consecutive wins, including 7-1 SU and 8-0 ATS versus greater than .600 opponents.

NFL

LA Chargers over Jacksonville by 10

QB Blake Bortles will be asked to step up and do something he has never done in his NFL: win three consecutive games. He is 0-2 SUATS in two previous attempts, with both losses as a favorite. Bortles is also 6-17 SU and 8-15 ATS against opponents coming off a SUATS loss, including 0-6 SUATS at home versus non-division foes in this role – losing four times straight up as a favorite. All of which ties in neatly into Bortles’ regretful 1-5 SUATS career mark as chalk in nonconference foes. You get our drift. Yes, thanks to a potent rushing attack, the Jaguars are vastly improved this campaign. But they are 0-6 SUATS in this series since 2010, and 1-9 SU and 1-8-1 ATS at home following a home game. Enter the Chargers, who are 5-1 ATS in AFC East sandwiches, and 16-3 ATS as road dogs of more than 3 points. And then there is QB Phillip Rivers’ ungodly 21-5 SU and 22-3-1 ATS career mark in games against AFC South opposition. All of which ties perfectly into THE CLINCHER: The Chargers are 26-7 SU and 28-4- 1 ATS all-time against AFC South opponents, including 7-0 ATS as underdogs of more than 3 points.

Written by John Pricci

Marc Lawrence can also be found at Playbook.com - One Click Handicapping